“You got chocolate in my peanut butter. No, you got peanut butter in my chocolate.” The Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach is where a beach party meets a marathon and half marathon or is it where a marathon and half marathon meets a beach party. With close to 20,000 runners participating, Super Bowl Sunday took a new meaning for me.

I almost always run some race on Super Bowl Sunday but I never took on a marathon because I am a huge football fan and football comes first. Would I be too tired for the big game if I went the marathon distance? Well, 82 other Sole Runners and I ran this race on a perfect day in So Cal.

The course is flat and fast. It is an out, back, out again and back to the pier course. You get to see you friends out on the course because you are crossing paths somewhere. And, this can be a fun motivator.

Besides the good spirits on the course the beer garden was the most rockin’ post race party that I have been to. It was packed, packed with Sole Runners. The only bummer was standing in the beer line, which didn’t effect me because I wasn’t drinking until I got to me SB party.

Quick thoughts on the course, FAST but if you are running the marathon the second trip out to Warner is tough for two reasons. One, you have already been out there and second the bike path gets crowded, with bikes and runners. Two, the bike path is a little uneven around Dog Beach and felt like the slowest part of the course. But, that’s not much to deter you considering you are running along the beach. I’ll be back and thanks for watching.

Train Focused, Steve Mackel-Sole Runners Marathon and Half Marathon Training’s Head Coach

Click here to open the complete pdf file of: A Running Dialogue – The Sole Runners Mentors Newsletter featuring Mentor Isabelle

Train Focused, Steve Mackel – Sole Runners Head Coach

Palos Verdes Sole RunnersWeek 5 Training – Saturday, November 24, at 8 AM at Trump National Golf Course, Rancho Palos Verdes 90275

Learn how to run. Learn ChiRunning® Join now before it is too late.

You’ll take lessons to learn other sports so why do you think you don’t need lessons to learn how to run? The Palos Verdes next ChiRunning® Lesson is Saturday morning, Saturday, November 12, at 8 AM.

We will meet at Trump National Golf Course, at the corner of Palos Verdes Drive South and Ocean Trails Road, ‘Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275

Please Email Coach Steve with Any Questions or call 818-414-9181

Train Focused,
Steve Mackel, Sole Runners Head Coach

PART 2

Download the complete “A Running Dialogue” pdf file

Train Focused, Steve Mackel – Head Coach Sole Runners Full and Half Marathon Training Programs

REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

OFFICIAL SOLE RUNNERS FULL AND HALF MARATHON TRAINING EVERY SATURDAY, AT 7 AM IN LONG BEACH

6:45 AM Registration Opens
7:05 AM Training Focus
7:10 AM Body Looseners
7:15 AM Group Run and ChiRunning® Practice
8:15 AM Yoga for all
9:00 AM Done

Official Summer 2011 Season — Saturday, May 14th at 7 AM

First Time Sole Runner $160
Alumni Sole Runners $135

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW ONLINE

Save Online Processing Fees – Pay by Check:

Tri This Coaching

1600 Fremont Ave.

South Pasadena, CA 91030

This Tuesday, April 5, 6:30 PM, at McKenna’s by the Bay, 190 North Marina Drive Long Beach, CA 90803 · (562) 342-9411

The Sole Runners Full and Half Marathon Training Programs is the only training program that incorporates the ChiRunning® techniques and Yoga. Our system has helped thousands of runner successfully cross the finish line. We specialize in working with beginners and intermediate runners. We teach you how to run, then use yoga and other cross-training to help take stress off the body. Most of your questions can be answered in the FAQ section at http://SoleRunners.net

This Tuesday, come meet me, the Mentors and other Sole Runners. Enjoy a discounted menu and happy hour drink prices while you learn about the Sole Runners Full and Half Marathon Training Programs. All your questions can be answered. Dr Michael Day will give a short presentation on “Pre-Hab” for runners. This evening starts at 6:30 PM and goes until just after 8 PM. Free parking and good information guaranteed. For immediate questions call Coach Steve at (818) 414-9181.

Prepare Focused, Steve Mackel – Sole Runners Full and half Marathon Training Programs Head Coach

What a great, beautiful Sunday in Los Angeles. The stage was set for the 2nd annual 13.1 Los Angeles Half Marathon. It just doesn’t get any better than this in January. The race started at 7:13 AM. About 3,500 runners took on this race through the streets of Venice and West LA. The course is flat and fast. In this video I tried to show the on course entertainment, the cool people, fast runners and most of all the fun attitude of everyone involved.

Personally I didn’t set any personal records (PR’s) because I just wanted to have a good time, which I did. But, there were many PR’s set and smiles after the race. We followed the race a fantastic breakfast. I love racing, meeting new people and running with old friends.

The 13.1 is a series of 9 races across the Untied States over 2011. For more information on the 13.1 series go to http://www.131marathon.com

Train Focused, Steve Mackel – Certified ChiRunning® Instructor

Dianne leads the Sole Runners in Newbury Park and runs annually in the Catalina Marathon. This photo taken from the Catalina Marathon 2009 Video

Thanks to Sole Runners Mentor Dianne for providing this list to “Assess 2010 and Plan for 2011″

1. Most valuable lesson from 2010?

2. How will you apply that lesson in 2011?

3. If you could go back to the beginning of 2010 and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

4. If the future you from the end of 2011 were to come back in time now to give you a piece of advice for next year, what would it be?

5. How will you apply the advice from questions 3 and 4 in 2011?

6. Who are the people who had the greatest impact on your life in 2010?

7. Who are the people YOU had the greatest impact on in 2010?

8. Who are the people you intend to have a powerful positive impact on in 2011?

9. What was your greatest experience in 2010?

10. What would you like your greatest experience in 2011 to be?

11. What unexpected gifts or blessings did you receive in 2010?

12. Where did you push your comfort zone in 2010?

13. Where will you push your comfort zone in 2011?

14. Top 3 achievements in 2010?

15. If you were to start a quest and change the world in some way in 2011, what would that look like?

16. What’s one of your greatest strengths and how will you use it in 2011?

17. What’s one of your most challenging weaknesses and how will you get help overcoming it in 2011?

18. Top 3 goals for 2011?

19. For each of your 2011 goals, what benchmark would you like to reach in the next month?

20. What structures will you put into place in 2011 to make sure you follow through on your plans and reach your benchmarks? Who will you ask for support from in 2011?

Train Focused, Steve Mackel, Certified Hypnotherapist

Madrid, Spain is a beautiful city with lots of great site, varied terrain and runners. I had a great time just walking around but running was even more fun. I take you around a small but popular part of Madrid, running on tiny streets, through town squares, parks and past the local sites.

I was scouting Madrid as a possible Marathon to take the Sole Runners to one of these years. It is a great fun place to be and run.

Train Focused, Steve Mackel – Co-founder SoCalRunning.com

I don’t even know where to start but can I ever top this marathon? Probably not. Today was history. Today, 2500 years later we retraced history. Everything about the day was special and the last 2 minutes of the video are almost worth the first 10 minutes.

Once again I try to show you the course and the people running it, as well as share my personal experience with you. I met people from all of the world. What I don’t show you or talk about are the smells. International marathons, or at least this one had some smelly people. If you smell the chances are I don’t interview you. Second, more men run than women and it feels like it is the exact opposite in the States. Also, the runners are much faster. I haven’t seen the official stats but the median finishing time has to be closer to 4 hours rather than most marathons in the States which seem to be around 5 hours.

The city of Athens stepped up and this marathon was managed very well. I felt it ran smoothly and have some suggestion for race directors that I Iearned today.

I also managed to PR which added to the day and my feelings but nothing beats running into the marble Olympic stadium in Athens. The music was pumping and the people never stopped cheering. It was amazing.

Now, I can start looking for the next international marathon to run. Join the email list in the center column and it will keep you in the loop because the Sole Runners had a great time and are going to make this an annual event.

Lastly, I have to thank all the Sole Runners that made the trip over with us, Michele for making our wings that everyone loved, and all our well wishers. I’ll see you State-side soon. Look for my Madrid video at the end of the week.

Train Focused, Steve Mackel – Head Coach Sole Runners